IndiGo Meltdown: Over 1,000 Flights Cancelled in Days, Fares Skyrocket; DGCA Eases Pilot Duty Norms Amid Growing Crisis

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, plunged into a deepening operational crisis on Friday, cancelling around 500 flights in Delhi alone and more than 1,000 flights across its network in recent days, triggering widespread chaos at airports nationwide. The mass cancellations forced the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) to issue an emergency relaxation of pilot duty rules, even as airfares on several major routes surged to unprecedented levels. Delhi Airport was the worst hit, announcing that all IndiGo domestic departures scheduled for 5 December 2025 were cancelled until midnight, while operations for other carriers continued as normal. The cancellations led to long queues, extended delays and thousands of stranded passengers, many of whom reported that alternative flig